Broken
by All That Remains
Summary: AU Aida fic- Aida escaped with Mereb and her father and Radames didn’t make it in time to say good-bye. Now they're pining over each other.


_Disclaimer: I do not own Aida. It belongs to Elton John and Time Rice. I also don't own "Broken." It belongs to Amy Lee and Seether._

_Title: Broken_

_Summary: AU- Aida escaped with Mereb and her father and Radames didn't make it in time to say good-bye. Now they must go on with their lives, but how can they when they're constantly missing each other?_

_Genre: Romance/Angst/Drama _

_A/N: I have an unhealthy obsession with Aida and Evanescence_

* * *

(Radames)

"No one must reach the pier before I arrived there!" Radames shouted.

Before anyone could question him, he ran out of the building and into his tent to change into his traveler's clothes so he could move quicker. As fast as he could, he ran to the docks where he knew the boat that he had reserved for Aida was, but when he got to the docks, it was gone.

He panicked for a moment thinking that maybe she had been captured, but he saw the boat disappearing around the other end of the Nile. Radames let out a sigh of relief and sat down on the dock. She was all right. She made it.

But, suddenly it came clear to Radames. Aida was gone. She wasn't coming back. He had nothing to remember her by except for the memory of her laughter, which was one of the things he loved most about her. _If only I'd gotten here sooner_, he thought. _Then maybe I could've held her for one last time._

_**I wanted you to know I love the way you laugh** _

**  
_I wanna hold you high and steal your pain away_**

_**  
I keep your photograph and I know it serves me well**_

_**  
I wanna hold you high and steal your pain**_

Then another horrible thought came to Radames: Amonasro, the Nubian king was with her. Every touch, every word, and every kiss was just a scheme to help her king escape.

_How could she do this?_ Was all Radames could think. She probably thought that he was lying and that he was using her for his own sick reasons. _But, I wasn't_, Radames thought. _That's not who I am. That's my father. I really did love her. _But,in all probabilityshe didn't love him.

Radames thought of his future now that Aida was out of it. It seemed so empty and dull and excruciating without her. Even if her feelings for him were false, his moments with her were exciting and wonderful. Now life would be empty and bleak without her and she would never know it.

**_'Cause I'm broken when I'm lonesome_**

_**  
And I don't feel right when you're gone away **_

Radames stood up and took one last look at the boat, which had fully disappeared beyond the bend of the Nile. _At least she's safe_, Radames thought, walking away. That was all he wanted for her even if she didn't love him.

**_You've gone away, you don't feel me, anymore_**

(Aida)

Aida stole one last look at the docks of Egypt and then turned aroundstared straight ahead. Mereb turnedto face herand smiled at her.

"We're free, Princess," he said. "We're going home."

Aida tried to return the smile with the same enthusiasm, but it was hard. Yes, she was excited to go home, but she was leaving Radames behind. Radames was possibly the only man she ever loved and she lied to him. _Except when I said that I loved him_, she corrected herself. _That was the truth_.

When she was in Egypt, she always felt guilty that she had gotten Nehebka and all the other Nubian woman kidnapped and defeated that she couldn't find a way to help the others to escape. She never spoke of this with Radames, but it was as if he could sense she was feeling these things. He always made her feel better.

_**The worst is over now and we can breathe again**_

_**  
I wanna hold you high, you steal my pain away  
**_

_**There's so much left to learn, and no one left to fight  
**_

**_I wanna hold you high and steal your pain _**

Now, she didn't have that anymore. _But, it's for the best_, she told herself for the millionth time that day. But, still she couldn't push aside the aching that she felt now. Tears came to her eyes and she turned away from Mereb so he couldn't see her tears.

She couldn't cry. Mereb and her father always saw her as a strong woman who could take on any challenge. She couldn't break that exterior now. But, today it was exceedingly difficult. She didn't feel as strong as people saw her to be. She felt heartbroken and empty without Radames.

**_'Cause I'm broken when I'm open_**

_**  
And I don't feel like I am strong enough  
**_

_**'Cause I'm broken when I'm lonesome  
**_

_**And I don't feel right when you're gone away**_

(Radames)

"Radames!"

Radames ran straight into his father. He sighed. His father was the last person he wanted to see right now.

"What?" Radames hissed.

"What have you done?" Zoser demanded.

"Nothing," Radames replied, shortly.

"Exactly," Zoser said, angrily. "You let that harlot and her king escape."

_Harlot!_ Radames became furious with his father for the millionth time in the past twenty four hours. How dare he talk about Aida like that?

"If memory serves correctly, you had that 'harlot' killed," he spat. "I had nothing to do with the Amonasro escaping. Now, if you'll excuse me."

Radames turned on his heel, sure that he was leaving his father red in the face. He headed toward his tent to change back into the clothes he was wearing before, when Amneris was standing in front of his tent. Just by looking at her face, he could tell that she knew.

"Amneris, I'm so sorry," Radames apologized.

"Did you ever love me?" Amneris asked.

Radames walked up to her and touched her cheek. "Amneris," he said. "I've loved you all my life."

"But, not like you loved Aida," Amneris said.

Radames dropped his hand. He didn't know how to reply to that. She was right, but he didn't want to tell her that. After all, they were married. He didn't want to hurt her.

"Amneris-"

"Don't," Amneris said, cutting him off. "Just don't. I'll meet you back at the banquet hall."

She turned her head so Radames couldn't see her face, but he could see that she was trying not to cry. He wanted to go after her, but he just couldn't. He needed a minute alone.

**_'Cause I'm broken when I'm open_**

_**  
And I don't feel like I am strong enough  
**_

_**'Cause I'm broken when I'm lonesome  
**_

_**And I don't feel right when you're gone away**_

(Aida)

Night had fallen, but Aida stayed awake to row the boat. She couldn't sleep. She felt too depressed to sleep. Also, she would have to concentrate when she was rowing, so it was a perfect distraction.

"Daughter," Aida heard her father's voice. "Go to sleep."

"I can't," she replied. "Someone has to row."

Things had been tense with Amonasro ever since she went to see him in the prison. She knew things would never be the same between them again.

"I'll row," Amonasro's voice was harsh. "You need sleep."

"I'll sleep tomorrow," Aida argued.

"Aida, this isn't a request," Amonasro hissed. "This is a command."

Aida slowly moved away from the paddles and moved her spot in the back of the boat. She knew that when Amonasro gave a command, she had to obey.

"I'm your father," Amonasro's voice lost it's harshness and had a more comforting tone. "I'm only thinking of what's best for you."

Aida nodded and settled down into her place and stared at the river behind her. She wouldn't be able to sleep. At least when she was rowing, she would be able to distract herself from thinking of Radames. But, she wouldn't be able to distract herself now.

"Princess," Mereb whispered, obviously still awake. "How are you?"

"Fine," Aida lied.

"Are you really?" Mereb asked.

When Aida was with Mereb, it was like she was glass and he could see through her.

"You know you can talk about this with me," he said.

"Thank you, Mereb," Aida said. "But, I really don't want to talk about this right now. I just want to be left alone."

"All right," Mereb turned away from me.

**_'Cause I'm broken when I'm lonesome_**

_**  
And I don't feel right when you're gone away**_

Aida kept staring out at the river, which looked black in the dark. She could only wonder what Radames was doing at this very moment. Had he figured out that she lied to him? Was he thinking about her? Did he miss her?

Aida shook her head. Of course he missed her. He loved her. When she was with him, she could tell just by looking in his eyes. But, she'd deceived him and she would never get a change to apologize. She was never going to see him again.

Aida knew that she couldn't stop herself from crying now, so she turned her face so that it was pressing against the hard wood of the boat, hoping it would muffle her sobs.

**_You've gone away_**

(Radames)

Radames returned to the banquet hall and celebrated his sham of a marriage with everyone else. Later, that night, he left Amneris sleeping in our bed and stood out on the balcony outside their room and stared out at the Nile.

He kept trying to apologize to Amneris, but she kept telling him that she didn't want to talk about this now. Amneris was his friend. He could confide everything in her. He was hoping that within a week or so, things would be back to normal between them and he could talk to her about this. But, he couldn't. He would only hurt her more. Things would never be the same between them.

So, he had no one to confide in. So, at night, when everyone was asleep, he would be left alone with his thoughts and would constantly think about Aida. He wondered what was going on now. Was she feeling guilty? Was she thinking about him? Did she actually love him? Did it hurt her to decieve him?

Aida looked so sincere when she told him that she loved him and he'd believed her. Did she mean it or had she lied? Radames was so sure earlier today that she'd lied to him, but now he wasn't anymore. Was it possible that she loved him although she lied to him about everything else?

_Well, I'll never know now_, Radames thought, sadly. _Because I'm never going to see her again._

_**You don't feel me here anymore**_

The End

A/N: It's bad, I know, but I love Aida and this song so I just had to get it out of my system. If you people really hate it, I'll delete this off the web immediatley. I hope you at least enjoyed the song.


End file.
